Created in Birmingham

There’s a big project (18 months, 17 artists, 138 performers – that kind of thing) that’s coming to a head this weekend, specifically between 6.30-9.30pm on Saturday 7 August at Retort House, 9 Gas Street:

The River project is a collaborative animated film based on a bespoke piece of contemporary dance

The event will be an exhibition featuring live music, dance and film. It’s a one-off, so don’t go thinking you’ll get a second chance to see this.

There’s a proper website that looks all brooding and impressive, but I’ve enjoyed browsing through the blog that talks about the impressive city centre venue (the first time it’s been used as an arts venue), the musicians and the many rehearsals.

This news is good news. Creative Open Workshops are going to open a weekly handmade arts and crafts market in the city centre:

The new Handmade Market will be located at the award-winning Bullring Markets, along Edgbaston Street, from St Martin’s down to Debenhams, every Saturday and Sunday [...] We plan to roll in the launch of the Market will just 30 artists, with others joining every month.

we’re now looking for high-quality local artists, illustrators, photographers, designer-makers, crafters, etc. to join us! All work displayed at the Market must be handmade, and made by the artist.

Read this post for info about how to get involved with that.

This is a lovely thing – Sam Coley‘s put together an audio slideshow focussing on The Diskery.

(Via Andrew Dubber)

• 50 things that make me smile in Birmingham « Latest posts
  In no particular order
• Arts & Business | Culture Forum
  Geoff Sweeney, Development Director at Birmingham Royal Ballet is a representative on Culture Forum. Culture Forum is a national thing that was set up recently. I haven’t the slightest idea what it is
• Opportunity for Playwrights « Script Online
  Script, The REP, National Theatre and Birmingham School of Acting are getting together to do a thing
• WANTED More Midlands TV Drama
  “This site was set up to collect suggestions and information to facilitate an increase in TV Drama made in the Midlands”
• West Midlands Screenwriters Forum
  “Promoting west midlands based screenwriters”. These weren’t on my radar until now
• Zombie Walk Birmingham 24-07-2010 – a set on Flickr
  Pics from the charity thing at the weekend
• Arts Contact Warwickshire
  “Arts Contact Warwickshire enables users to search for an artist or arts organisation to suit their needs, using a variety of search criteria”
• A weekend in Brum « Everyday Stories of Rachel & James
  “I can get a bit evangelical about Birmingham’s cultural offerings, but I do think that the snapshot of activities I went along to is pretty fantastic.” Yes indeedy
• crookedsplinter
  David Hurley (who did some stuff in the CiB Shop as part of the Flatpack Festival) has a blog
• Handsworth Simmer Down Festival 2010 – a set on Flickr
  Some pics from the other weekend
• IAMA Professional cinematographer and steadicam operator. AMA
  Bit old this, but Ed Moore did a (looooong) interview thing on Reddit. Actually, it was only 6 months ago, so it’s not all that old